SOB's Best Of 2009-10: Top Ten Of The YearOver the last couple days, I've offered up my "Best Of" lists for each of the four major stage categories honored by the Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revivals, Best Play Revivals, Best New Musicals and Best New Plays.
Now, before this evening's Tony Awards are bestowed, here’s how the best of the best rank in my personal countdown of the “10 Best” theatrical productions I saw over the course of the 2009-10 Theatrical Season (ending April 30, 2010):
10 - A Streetcar Named DesireVenue: Harvey Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Liv Ullmann's crackling revival of
Tennessee Williams'
A Streetcar Named Desire became a must-see event not only because it starred the magnificent
Cate Blanchett, but also because it so forthrightly showcased this classic work for what it is -- one of the best plays ever written.
Exceptional Standout Performance: Cate Blanchett
Status: Closed late 2010
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
9 - Fences
Venue: Cort Theatre, New York City, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: In
Kenny Leon's exceptional revival of
August Wilson's monumental
Fences,
Denzel Washington excels in delivering a solid line drive as former baseball player Troy Maxson -- once a player, always a player. Yet as Troy's wife Rose,
Viola Davis hits this one out of the park with the most extraordinary, heartwrenching performance of the year.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.
Status: Limited run through July 11, 2010
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
8 - The Full MontyVenue: McKnight Theatre, Theatre Latté Da, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota
Top 10 Worthiness: In one of those rarest of rarities,
Theater Latté Da's excellent and thoroughly enjoyable revival of
The Full Monty was actually much better than the Broadway original. Under
Peter Rothstein's exceptional, confident direction,
Terrence McNally's book and
David Yazbek's underrated score became even more salient, all the more emotionally gripping and certainly more entertaining today.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Wendy Lehr and
Randy SchmelingStatus: Closed last fall after limited run
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
7 - Brighton Beach Memoirs
Venue: Nederlander Theatre, New York City, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Nothing could have prepared me for the earnest and devastating charms found in
Neil Simon's superb
Brighton Beach Memoirs. This semi-autobiographical period piece received an excellent (though sadly short-lived) Broadway revival, flawlessly executed by director
David Cromer. Through
Brighton Beach Memoirs, Cromer further burnished his credentials as a brilliant, visionary master at breathing vigorous new life into classic material.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Laurie Metcalf,
Noah Robbins and
Santino FontanaStatus: Closed last fall the Sunday after it opened
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
6 - Superior Donuts Venue: Music Box Theatre, New York City, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Tracy Letts' tasty and satisfying
Superior Donuts may have appeared on my list last year, but since he and director
Tina Landau further sharpened this dramatic comedy for its Broadway bow, the play once again earns its place on my list.
Superior Donuts ostensibly left its audience with hope and an entreaty to wake up to the world around us, give a damn and take a stand.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Michael McKean and
Jon Michael HillStatus: Closed at the beginning of this year
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
5 - Twelfth NightVenue: Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, New York City, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Love was in the air, and that breeze blowing straight through Central Park was
William Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night.
Daniel Sullivan’s gorgeous gender-bending revival was brimming with bawdy charms and an extraordinary ensemble. I walked out of Central Park both enthralled and enchanted.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Anne Hathaway,
Raúl Esparza,
Audra MacDonald and
David PittuStatus: Closed last summer after limited run
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
4 - The Brother / Sister Plays
Venue: Upstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois
Top 10 Worthiness: The Brother / Sister Plays,
Tarell Alvin McCraney's excellent and deeply poetic trilogy, cast an unusally enthralling spell over me through its lyrical power. Standing as a towering achievement, not only for the incredibly young yet wise-beyond-his-years playwright, but also for its outstanding ensemble,
The Brother / Sister Plays may ultimately prove to be the most important new work of this new decade.
Exceptional Standout Performances: K. Todd Freeman and
Alana ArenasStatus: Closed this spring after limited run
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
3 - RuinedVenue: New York City Center Stage I
Top 10 Worthiness: What playwright
Lynn Nottage and director
Kate Whoriskey have achieved with the heartstopping and excellent
Ruined was nothing short of monumental. They skillfully succeeded in placing many a human face on those who are grossly dehumanized, even if it ranks as one of the most difficult plays I ever sat through.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Portia,
Quincy Tyler Bernstine and
Russell G. JonesStatus: Closed last summer after multiple extensions
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
2 - RedVenue: John Golden Theatre, New York City, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: John Logan's magnificent
Red, masterfully directed by
Michael Grandage, has forever changed how I'll view abstract art, particularly that of artist
Mark Rothko. A modern-day masterpiece imported directly from London's
Donmar Warehouse,
Red intrigues and titillates the senses with its potent examination of the internal conflicts Rothko may have endured.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Alfred Molina and
Eddie RedmayneStatus: Limited run scheduled through June 27, 2010
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
1 - Brief EncounterVenue: McGuire Proscenium, Guthrie, Minne-apolis, Minnesota
Top 10 Worthiness: The all too
Brief Encounter stands out as the most magnificent entertainment production I saw anywhere this year.
As its conceit, director
Emma Rice ingeniously builds on the precepts from the Oscar-nominated
1945 motion picture written by
Noël Coward about two married individuals who enjoy a chance meeting in a train station only to find themselves swept away in a mad love affair. Silver screen images are shown on the stage, but it's seemlessly brought to life with a captivating fusion with live theatre. Topping off this delectable treat is a perfect blend of music from the era that breaks the fourth wall.
To say much more beyond this doesn't seem fair because this excellent production has to be seen to be believed and fully appreciated. But I'll add one more thing. It took
Brief Encounter's spellbinding trip back in time to catch a glimpse of the future in entertainment and the integral role projection designs -- like those offered here by
Gemma Carrington and
Jon Driscoll to mesmerizing, dramatic effect -- can have in stage productions.
Fortunately, Broadway
audiences will have their chance this fall to encounter this excellent work that defies description. And don't be surprised if there's further call for a new Tony Award category to be created for Best Projection Design. It's an element that's here to stay.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Hannah Yelland and
Milo TwomeyStatus: Closed in April after limited run. Production will be mounted this fall at Broadway's Studio 54
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
What shows would be on your top ten list? Do you think I've completely missed the boat, or would your choices largely mirror mine?
I invite you to join the discussion and post your comments here.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Streetcar Named Desire, Brief Encounter, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Fences, Red, Ruined, SOB's Best of 2009-10, Superior Donuts, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Full Monty, Twelfth Night
SOB's Best Of 2009-10: Best New PlaysDuring the 2009-10 Theatrical Season, I've had the opportunity to see over 80 performances of a wide range of new and revived musicals and plays, as well as other theatrical events.
As noted earlier, unlike this past year's selection of musicals, the plays were once again "the thing." That included a startling array of first rate new plays on Broadway as well as other venues near and far.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the "5 Best New Plays" I've seen over the 12 months ending April 30, 2010:
5 - Superior Donuts (Music Box Theatre, New York City, New York)
Sure,
Tracy Letts' tasty and satisfying
Superior Donuts appeared on my list last year, but since he and director
Tina Landau sharpened this work for its Broadway bow, this play deserves to be judged again as a new show. And this enthralling and profoundly moving work deserves to be on this list as it sits precisely where the American dream -- and all its endless possibilities -- intersects with fears of America lost.
The essential ingredients Letts has baked into this dramatic comedy were as sweet and savory as ever. Proving that no one backs Letts into a corner,
Superior Donuts offered plenty of his trademark ribald barbs while ostensibly leaving its audience with hope and an entreaty to wake up to the world around us rather than to shut it out. To give a damn and take a stand. Once again, this courageous show lived up to its name.
4 - The Brother / Sister Plays (Upstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois)
The Brother / Sister Plays,
Tarell Alvin McCraney's excellent and deeply poetic trilogy, cast an unusally enthralling spell over me through its lyrical power. Standing as a towering achievement, not only for the incredibly young yet wise-beyond-his-years playwright, but also for its outstanding ensemble,
The Brother / Sister Plays may ultimately prove to be the most important new work of this new decade.
Director
Tina Landau's singular focus ensures that McCraney's immense gift for language dances just as soulfully across all three portions of this mighty work as does the beautiful choreography from its first installment
In The Red And Brown Water. Each play is anchored by the impeccable
K. Todd Freeman as Ogun Size, arguably the heart pulsating throughout this ambitious work; Freeman imbues Ogun with a rare level of humanity that makes him and
The Brother / Sister Plays simply breathtaking to watch.
3 - Ruined (New York City Center Stage I, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, New York)
It wasn't until this Theatrical Season that I finally saw
Lynn Nottage's devastatingly exceptional
Ruined. What Nottage and director
Kate Whoriskey achieved with this heartstopping, excellent production was nothing short of monumental. They skillfully succeeded in placing many a human face on those who are grossly dehumanized even if it ranks as one of the most difficult plays I ever sat through.
Nottage created some of the year's most remarkable female roles, including a madame named Mama Nadi (a superb
Portia) whose brothel doors are open to military officials and rebels alike. Nottage endowed each of her central characters with a breathtaking resilience, and a surprising degree of good humor. Ultimately, they demonstrated grace and resolve in their desperate attempts to rise above it all.
2 - Red (John Golden Theatre, New York City, New York)
John Logan's magnificent
Red, masterfully directed by
Michael Grandage, has forever changed how I'll view abstract art, particularly that of artist
Mark Rothko. Imported directly from London's
Donmar Warehouse,
Red intrigues and titillates the senses with its potent examination of the internal conflicts Rothko (an excellent
Alfred Molina) may have endured.
Molina paints his Rothko with a tortured, self-conscious brilliance that turns ferocious on dime, including on his young protégé Ken, a captivating
Eddie Redmayne, in an absolutely stunning Broadway debut. Together, they transform
Red into a modern-day masterpiece.
1 - Brief Encounter (McGuire Proscenium, Guthrie, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The all too
Brief Encounter stood out as one of the most magnificent entertainment productions you were likely to see anywhere this past year.
As its conceit, director
Emma Rice ingeniously builds on the precepts from the Oscar-nominated
1945 motion picture written by
Noël Coward about two married individuals who enjoy a chance meeting in a train station only to find themselves swept away in a mad love affair. Silver screen images are shown on the stage, but it's seemlessly brought to life with a captivating fusion with live theatre. Topping off this delectable treat is a perfect blend of music from the era that breaks the fourth wall.
To say much more beyond this doesn't seem fair because this excellent production has to be seen to be believed and fully appreciated. But I'll add one more thing. It took
Brief Encounter's spellbinding trip back in time to catch a glimpse of the future in entertainment and the integral role projection designs -- like those offered here by
Gemma Carrington and
Jon Driscoll to mesmerizing, dramatic effect -- can have in stage productions. Fortunately, Broadway audiences will have their
chance this fall to encounter this excellent work that defies description.
So what were the best new plays
you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Best New Plays, Brief Encounter, Red, Ruined, SOB's Best of 2009-10, Superior Donuts, The Brother/Sister Plays
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #17 - Ruined (2009, New York City Center Stage I, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York, NY)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. It wasn't until the second act of
Lynn Nottage's devastatingly exceptional
Ruined that we learned the Congolese people's secret for surviving recurring civil wars. According to one central character, they must simply pretend to ignore the inhumanity all around them. But
Ruined was much too excellent to ignore as its Pulitzer Prize underscored.
What Nottage and director
Kate Whoriskey achieved with this heartstopping production was nothing short of monumental. They skillfully succeeded in placing many a human face on those who are grossly dehumanized even if it ranks as one of the most difficult plays I ever sat through.
Nottage created some of the year's most remarkable female roles, including a madame named Mama Nadi (a superb
Portia) whose brothel doors are open to military officials and rebels alike. Nottage endowed each of her central characters with a breathtaking resilience, and a surprising degree of good humor. Ultimately, they demonstrated grace and resolve in their desperate attempts to rise above it all.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.Labels: Kate Whoriskey, Lynn Nottage, Off-Broadway, Play, Portia, Pulitzer Prize, Ruined, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties
Ruined (The SOB Review) - New York City Center Stage I, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)It isn't until the second act of
Lynn Nottage's devastatingly exceptional
Ruined that we learn the Congolese people's secret for surviving recurring civil wars. According to one central character, they must simply pretend to ignore the inhumanity all around them.
But
Ruined is much too excellent to ignore. Unlike the Congolese, all too many Americans go on about their lives, blissfully unaware of the violent savagery occurring on a daily basis in places like the Congo. Of course, simply ignoring it doesn't mean it's not happening.
What Nottage and director
Kate Whoriskey have achieved with this heartstopping production is nothing short of monumental. They have skillfully succeeded in placing many a human face on those who are grossly dehumanized.
While
Ruined's title specifically refers to the unspeakable rape and mutilation of Congo's women, it most certainly serves as an apt metaphor for the war-ravaged nation itself. Yet ostensibly, this is a story about the harrowing humiliation Congolese women endure, ranging from the scourge of rape to the rejection from their families after suffering at the hands of others. It should be noted that Nottage crafted her script from actual heartwrenching interviews with women "who bravely shared their stories."
Perhaps it's because of those first-hand accounts that Nottage so painstakingly and vividly creates some of the year's most remarkable female roles. Chief among them is the madame named Mama Nadi (a superb
Portia) whose brothel doors are open to military officials and rebels alike. She houses three women, including Josephine (a swaggering
Cherise Booth as a boastful daughter of a former chief) and two young women who have been brought to the safehouse the brothel has become -- Salima (a devastating
Quincy Tyler Bernstine) and Sophie, the eponymously described victim Sophie (played during my performance by a heart-shattering Rachael Holmes).
Fortunately, given the myriad letches of men, Nottage provides one decent soul among them --an earnest businessman named Christian (a brilliant
Russell G. Jones), who is not only trying to defy all odds by staying above the civil war's fray, but is also on a seemingly quixotic pursuit toward finding love among the
Ruined.
Nottage endows each of her central characters with a breathtaking resilience, and a surprising degree of good humor, which undoubtedly serves as a much-needed salve for sheer survival. Ultimately, they demonstrate grace and resolve in their desperate attempts to rise above it all.
Ruined may very well be the most singular difficult play I've ever sat through. Even as my heart is still racing one day after seeing it, I can't think of a production that has so thoroughly affected me and awakened me from a complacency quite the way this excellent play has. It is without question the best new work I've seen in 2009.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning
Ruined has already been extended several times, but it will close on September 6. You simply can't afford not to see it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cherise Boothe, Kate Whoriskey, Lynn Nottage, Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway, Play, Portia, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Rachael Holmes, Ruined, Russell G. Jones, The SOB Review
